TOMS RIVER - Six months after he lost a close election for a Township Council seat, former GOP councilman Al Manforti has been appointed to the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority.

Manforti was defeated in a close race by Democrat Terrance Turnbach, served as an MUA commissioner before he joined the council. He was appointed to an alternate's slot on the board of commissioners, along with Democrat Ben Montenegro, by a 6-to-1 vote.

The vote on Manforti's appointment revealed a rift between the three Democrats who took office here in January. Councilman Daniel Rodrick voted no on the two appointments, while Turnbach and Laurie Huryk joined the four Republicans on the council in voting yes.

Huryk said the appointment of a Democrat and a Republican shows council members are working together.

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Republican Al Manforti, a former councilman, was appointed to an alternate's job on the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority's Board of Commissioners.(Photo11: File photo)

"I would like to commend the council for the bipartisanship shown here," Huryk said. "....that is the type of bipartisanship we need to move forward in this town."

Rodrick, though, said appointing Manforti so soon after he lost an election was a bad move.

"The electorate just threw him out of office," Rodrick said of Manforti. "Just seems like more of the same political patronage."

GOP Councilman George E. Wittmann Jr. took issue with Rodrick's statement and pointed out that Rodrick had chosen to take health benefits after he took office in January.